English Wine Week

A little note to say this post is full of links to previous posts, wine events and winemakers ... so settle in with a glass of something nice and enjoy my English wine experience!

If anyone asks me if I have tried English wine I reply with a resounding 'yes'!

However I hadn't realised how many different wines until I looked back over my blog posts. That's the primary reason I write Aimetu's - wine, food and travel; it's full of our adventures and wonderful memories.

Those great memories include visiting Love Wine in Birmingham, Guildford and Birmingham again the following year with friends, it's where we have discovered and tasted many English wines. Unfortunately this year's Guildford Love Wine was postponed, we're looking forward to the new dates when we can again meet with some fantastic winemakers from near and far.

From our visits in 2017 and 2018 we discovered these English winemakers; always in holiday mood I'm already planning a few mini breaks with vineyard visits for when life allows.

Biddenden Vineyards       Ridgeview Wine Estate       Three Choirs Vineyards

Albury Vineyard        High Claydon Vineyard        Greyfriars Vineyard

Simpson's Wine Estate        Woodchester Valley Vineyard    

The Bolney Estates       Denbies Wine Estate

Our first actual tour of an English vineyard was in September 2015 and was the start of my 50th birthday celebrations. Driving north early on a Sunday morning in my new car with it's perfect 65 plate, I was filled with excited anticipation; Wroxeter Vineyard did not disappoint. We had a brilliant day, walking the vines, discovering new grape varieties and tasting superb wines whilst enjoying a super lunch.

Our first English vineyard visit 

Looking back over our travels I was surprised to read that we didn't visit another English vineyard until 2018 .... however we made up time by visiting four over the year.

Our first 2018 visit was to an English winemaker you've probably read about in my recent writings - Oatley Vineyard. As part of our wine weekend holiday with friends I arranged a visit to this, at the time, unknown vineyard tucked away in rural Somerset. It was an absolute delight and a treasure to find.

I have fond memories of our visit in early 2018 and thanks to our recent online order we are now enjoying Oatley wines with friends here in the Midlands, virtually of course!

Our visit to Oatley Vineyard

Virtual Oatley tasting in lockdown

Having discovered The Bolney Estates wine at Love Wine and realising they were located on our route to Newhaven for our ferry crossing, we thought it would be rude not to call by for a lunch stop.

We were amazed by their wines, especially their new Rosso vermouth, and equally amazed by their beautiful vineyard. Set down a small leafy lane The Bolney Estate has a great cafe with balcony seating overlooking the vines. Their wines are elegantly laid out in the shop, so much choice, all so inviting. The Eighteen Acre restaurant follows on from the shop and offers a great range of food. We had a very enjoyable lunch with a glass of wine and would have loved to have stayed for a tour, we will certainly be visiting again.

Our lunch stop visit to The Bolney Estate

Our next tour was at Dedham Vale Vineyard, a retirement gift for Hubby from our daughter. We set off east, not our usual holidaying direction, early one sunny Sunday morning in July.

Essex is not an area we had thought of for wine making however Dedham Vale grow a variety of grapes around the vineyard and in the neighbouring area. We had an extensive tour of the vines followed by a tour of the working parts of the vineyard; our tour ending with a super wine tasting with views across the beautiful English countryside.

Dedham Vale's beautiful setting 

Our final visit vineyard visit of 2018 was actually two visits in one. Hubby and I had an impromptu week in Dorset, the home of Langham Wine Estate and popped over the border into Devon to also visit Lyme Bay Winery, both super experiences although we didn't tour the vines.

At Langham we treated ourselves to lunch accompanied by a glass of their delicious Blanc de Noirs.  Another superb vineyard producing a great range of sparkling wine, with drinking restrictions due to driving we just had to bring some home. This English wine estate is stunning example of the beautiful countryside we have in our country, our next visit will definitely include a tour and longer time to enjoy not only super wines but the super food too.

My glass of Langham Blanc de Noirs

The shop at Lyme Bay Winery was full of goodies, fruit wines, liqueur wine, sparkling wine, still wine and spirits. I have known of Lyme Bay fruit wines since a young girl as they had a shop at Lulworth Cove, a favourite holiday place my Dad and I often visited. It was lovely to visit the actual winery but with so much choice it was hard to decide what to bring home. With Christmas approaching we bought a variety of fruit wines and liqueurs to give as gifts, as well as a bottle of Sandbar made from 100% Bacchus for us to enjoy at Maison Hearnden.

2020 has certainly been a different year, no vineyard visits, no wine events but that hadn't stopped everyone talking about, sharing and discovering wine .... especially with superb live wine chats hosted by (amongst others) Brad Horne - Wine Time London.

Thanks to Brad I now have more English winemakers to add to my visit/tasting list, an ever growing list that now includes:

Tickerage Wines       Oastbrook Estate Vineyard 

Dalwood Vineyard      Dunleavy Vineyards 

   Welcombe Hills Vineyard 

With shopping online and nationwide delivery there is no reason to not enjoy English wine at home, Hubby and I will certainly be ordering more to enjoy here whilst looking forward to when we can spread our wings and go visiting again.

As I said this post is full of links to our past adventures and the variety of English winemakers we have discovered, however I could not finish without mentioning the best English wine

...... it's priceless ...... and is of course .....

Chateau Hearnden 

I have over the years made many wine, following in my Grandfather's footsteps. 2014 was a good year resulting in Dandelion, Rhubarb and Elderflower wines, each receiving compliments from those who have tasted them. I have since made Tea Wine and Rhubarb Wine .... bottled ready to drink!

Chateau Hearnden
Dandelion, Rhubarb and Elderflower 

I currently have two demi-johns of Beetroot wine in the garage ready to bottle when we have saved enough empties ..... that's my lockdown activity sorted!

Cheers everyone .... enjoy English Wine Week 🥂